Archers

what about the mounted steppe archers.

I was sure I had a post here....or can I not just see it..weird.

Originally posted by Dampier And whats wrong with convicts, many, many armies have used them. Just look at the French Foreign Legion! Anyway they won us an Empire so kudos to them. Thing is most soldiers for thousnads of years were criminals- the raping, looting and the like are all criminal offenses.

I wasn't being critical, just having a bit of a laugh. I'm Australian you see .

As for the longbow, it did takes years of training to use accurately. But let us keep in mind the Englishbowmen did not need to be accurate at battles like Crecy, they just needed to shoot together in one general mass to a single volley descended on the enemy. However, training was important as the single volley soon degenerated into grapeshot once the enemy got very close, then you needed to be accurate. Also, training was important for building up the stamina in the relevant muscle groups needed to draw such a thing as the longbow, believe me you tire very quickly if you have not given the longbow alot of good practice beforehand.

To effectively use a longbow takes years of training. Not any fool can just aim correctly. Any fool can use a crossbow with a few hours of training, but not a longbow.

Any fool can use a longbow anyway.

Thats a nice contradiction  you say its not true about the prisoner amnesty then say you can get released if you can use a bow?

The thing is,they all could use the bow.As stated in earlier post's it was LAW in England that all the lower class males learn the Longbow from childhood.If you turned out to be a criminal (or put in clink for whatever reason) that doesnt mean you've forgotten all the bow training you endured does it?

If some one says they can use a bow to get released then it turns out they cant use the thing,they deserve hanging!but i think it would be rare for a peasent not to know how to use it.There was many a murderer in those Archer companies.

Gavriel


Edited by Gavriel - 24-May-2006 at 07:49

I don't think we should be discussing the effect of arrows/bolts on the full plate. Full plate knights were so rare on battlefields that they had no strategic importance.

I saw a test on the BBC were the Bodkin arrow DID pierce plate armour.
The guy was loosing into a metal road sign (not in use,it was positioned in a field) from 150 yards (he hit it every time).
Then he positioned a piece of plate armour on a bail of straw,he put Gambeson material behind the plate and something to simulate flesh behind the Gambeson.Then he loosed into the target from around 20 yards and the Bodkin did penetrate all the materials and ended up in the straw.
Ok,20 yards is very,very close to the target but it DID penetrate,maybe you'd pierce of the Knights before his buddy's ran you though .

Its not necessary to kill the armoured soldier anyway,kill his horse and he's virtually useless.The Longbows would easily kill the horses,once the Knights are unhorsed the archers could kill them from close range,running forward into the battle line,loose a few quick arrows into the armoured knights and or dig the Falchions,Axes or Rondel daggers into them (the archers all carried a edge weapon for the close stuff).

From what i've read it states that the archers during Edward III campaigns in France where a totaly professional force.A full time part of the army there was none of this going home to tend crops nonscence (thats a farmers job) how would they get home anyway! i dont think Edward would of give them ships to take them back home,do you? how did they get back home,swim?im pretty sure that when you joined the army you signed on for at least a few years worth of campaigning (not sure on the lengths of time).
A lot of the soldiers in the Archer companies where criminals!the King gave a amnesty to anyone who could affectively use a bow in the prisons of England.He let them out of clink (in some cases it was a way to avoid the rope too!), i dont think these people would be in a rush to get home and tend crops!
A man can earn a lot more money fighting for the King than he can raising foodstuffs.There's plunder to be had in France or hard back breaking work back home on farms.


Edited by Gavriel - 24-May-2006 at 06:31

I saw a test on the history channel that showed the bodkin point could not pierce plate armor.

thats why u should always stick to banded mail its cheap and offers just about the same ampunt of protection as full plate